Mass Effect 3: The movement

[Tono Makt]

le snip

So basically you need everything laid out right in front of your face or it doesn't exist. I guess not showing something that can easily be explained with a second of thought from the audience is too much of a risk these days.

Obviously, since I made no attempt to explain why Joker was able to survive the crash, nor the white beam that transports people up to the Citadel.

Okay, sarcasm off.

Dude, you can attack me all you want, but all you're doing is showing that you don't want to answer the question. I've put a pretty big post up there, and I've actually gone to some lengths to explain using the Mass Effect rules and laws why some of the things in the ending may not break those laws and rules. I've laid out that it's not wrong for a writer to break their own rules and laws as long as they explain it.

And what have you done? Insults and flames. So using your standards that I, the audience, need to explain this for myself, I'm going to explain it as that you are an unpublished writer who has received feedback from publishers which amounts to "This makes no sense. We aren't going to publish it." and instead of learning from your mistakes, you're trying to force the idea that the audience is responsible for explaining poor writing. If enough people begin to believe that, perhaps you will be published one day.

 

[The Wooster]

After considering the issue, I'm a bit more moderate, but still convinced this whole issue will encourage other developers to experiment less when it comes to narrative. They'll take the safe option rather than risk fan outrage. That, to me, seems like a step toward the heavy duty focus testing of Hollywood films.

At first, this notion was absurd to me, but I understand how the outcry can be interpreted this way. The ME3 ending was not a creative experiment. It was a rushed hack job. It's closer to being the "safe option" than anything. But Bioware is known for their attempts at creative narratives and if a developer isn't sufficiently aware of this issue, they could misunderstand the outrage as something condemning experimentation.

I agree with a lot of the criticism of the ending, certainly that it was rushed, but I don't think it's a "safe" ending at all. The game took a very allegorical turn in the last five minutes, and the endings made monumental changes to the series' universe. In a market full of games with "open" endings to ensure a direct sequel is possible, I find the finality and scope of the ME3 endings refreshing. It's a shame everything else about them sucked.

 

[LetalisK]

I agree with a lot of the criticism of the ending, certainly that it was rushed, but I don't think it's a "safe" ending at all. The game took a very allegorical turn in the last five minutes, and the endings made monumental changes to the series' universe. In a market full of games with "open" endings to ensure a direct sequel is possible, I find the finality and scope of the ME3 endings refreshing. It's a shame everything else about them sucked.

From my limited experience, the bolded part seems to be a common sentiment among those that rail against the ending, so that's common ground. As for the ending being safe, in my opinion it felt like it was a go-to ending-in-a-box that was slapped on the end. I didn't feel there was any kind of creative exploration and it was an ending just because it needed to end at some point. So they threw in three "different" endings that required relatively little time to develop and if there was any sort of new creative allegory or changes it was not given its due. I don't see this as a creative error on their part, though. I see it as a business error as I get the distinct feeling that deadlines and pressure from above were the primary problems in this whole debacle. The idea that Bioware created this intricate story and then at the end said "Screw it, we're tired and don't care, let's just slap something on the end and call it a day" is something that makes no sense to me.

On a side note, I'm firmly in the "Retake ME3" camp(even though I disagree with the name), but I didn't see that comic as insulting at all. It was quite humorous as usual.

 

[Jamz]

le snip

So basically you need everything laid out right in front of your face or it doesn't exist. I guess not showing something that can easily be explained with a second of thought from the audience is too much of a risk these days.

Compelling. You're obviously a genius.

So how exactly do you reconcile an illogical set of events with logical thinking? You're very quick to lay the blame down on the audience for something that the storymaker is responsible to.

I'll bet you made a kneejerk reaction and said what you did without fully understanding what you meant and now you can't effectively back that claim up or you don't have the balls to say that you were wrong.

But hey, that's just what I'm inferring from your post. Now scurry off and leave this post behind before you make yourself look dumb in front of all these people. However, if you do reply to me, make sure you reply to that guy who posted before me. He worked a long time on his post and you did a fantastic job of being a complete dick and dismissing all of it without any consideration.

 

[Joush]

Many of the people on the Escapist that have piped up about the ending clearly did not understand the ending.

Makes it hard to take you saying it's intellectually dishonest seriously.

Was it wrong to call out the Fox News commentator that called Mass Effect a debached sex simulator out for having no idea what they were talking about? Because the journalism around here has been at the same level.

 

[Something Amyss]

-They were promised player choices through the series impacting the end, which they didn't get.

Actually, the did. Quite a bit. Just not in a way that was immediately obvious. The war assets you acquire (you know, the choices the player makes throughout the series) affects which endings you can select and what happens in those endings. Source: http://www.ign.com/wikis/mass-effect-3/Endings

NOTE: Your other complaint is completely understandable though. Without IT, the ending has more holes than a strainer.

I'm really surprised I have to pull the "you know what I mean," card, especially given what was specifically said and how your EMS rating does not fulfill said promises and promotion.

Although, I suppose in a thread about a comic where Retake is portrayed as just wanting a happy ending, pedantry is a pretty minor offense.

 

[Grape_Nuts]

You know there's something wrong when you try to think of a worse ending and everything that comes up seems miles better. Heck, even the first Diablo's ending made more sense.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

Retake Mass Effect, and the people peripherally attached to it, seem to have a modus operandi of deifying journalists and publications that agree with their point, and demonizing those that don't. Whatever your feelings on the ending and some the pressure to change it, accusing people who don't share your opinion of either not understanding it or being corrupt is intellectually dishonest.

To be fair, calling us entitled, whiny crybabies who should just get over it isn't exactly what I expect from journalists. I'm not saying they're corrupt or that they 'don't get it' (although one or two of them really don't) but they fail to look at both sides, which to me is a fundamental failing of journalistic integrity. They act like we're attacking or outright destroying art, when shouldn't they want to see games being the best they can, which would include reevaluating one's work with an aim to improve it?

Only problem is... journalistic integrity HAS been failing. For years, now. But yeah, I agree with you.

 

[artanis_neravar]

So what happens if you'd prefer more of a downer ending? They bring out the knives?

Also, is that Erin in panel 4? Her stripes vanished... SHE'S A WITCH!

A WITCH! A WITCH! BUUUUUURRRRN HER!!

Burn her? Don't you people know ANYTHING. To prove one is a Witch you must FIRST, weigh her against a duck. Then you can burn her.

As for that "strategy" at least once they get an actual load in the face they'll be a physical representation of how they've been feeling since they've beat ME3.

Well maybe if they swallowed they would get the ending they want.

 

[Sentox6]

You dirty bird, Bioware, how could you?

Given that most of the journalists attacking the ME3 "retakers" have done little more than trot out trite, throwaway lines about "artistic integrity" or construct laughably ignorant strawmen based around the imaginary wish for a "happy ending", I'd say accusing them of not "understanding" is actually pretty intellectually honest.